Blanching and cleaning device



g- 1932- M. s. CARMICHAEL 1,871,359

BLANGHING AND CLEANING DEVICE I Filed March 11, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet lAug. 9, 1932. M. s. CARMICHAEL 1,871,359

BLANCHING AND CLEANING DEVICE Filed March 11, 1929 3 Shets-Sheet 2,

"Inn nun [.vi?) 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Aug. 9, 1932. M. s. CARMICHAEL 3 5359BLANCHING AND CLEANI I IG DEVICE I unmlTffmlll Patented Aug. 9, 1932MEAD s. CARIVIICHAEL, or SPARTA, wrsoonsnv Price 9 BLAN CHIN G ANDCLEANING DEVICE Application filed March 11, 1929. Serial No. 345,958;

This invention relates to blanching devices and more particularlytoarticle cleaning means, although certain features thereof may beemployed with equal advantage'for other purposes.

It contemplates more especially the provision of means for effectivelyremoving foreign substances from edible articles without entailing muchlabor or subjecting the 10 articles to injury.

Numerous devices have heretofore been proposed for cleaning articles bysubmersion in a water bath however, these have not proven entirelysatisfactory owing to their inefiiciency and injurious effect thereon.

Further, these devices are not entirely dependable, since the cleansingefiect is not uniform nor free-from injury to the articles, therebynecessitating keen inspection and reprocessing for the purpose .ofsatisfactorily completing the blanching thereof. With the tremendousgrowth of the canning industry and the increased consumption ofcannedarticles including peas and the like, known cleaning methods haveretarded the processing thereof and materially increased the cost of theproduct to the consumer.

One object of the presentinvention is to provide means for blanching orremoving foreign substances from articles without entailing much labor.

Another object is to provide means for continuously withdrawing foreignsubstances from a cleansing fluid which is employed in a continuousblanching process.

Still another object is the provision of means for continuously skimmingthe surface of a cleansing fluid contra to the directional flow thereofto remove the impurities therefrom without interruption.

A further object is the provision of an endless conveyor effective tocarry spaced instruinentalities thereon for coaction witl'i'a puritiestherein. .7

A still further object is to'provide means for directing articles alonga predetermined path in the presence of water for'e'lfecting the removalof foreign substances therefrom directional flow of water to remove theim-;

without interfering with the continued processing thereof. jj v f Stilla furtherobject isjthe provision of means for continuously removingimpurities from an article cleansing medium, andthereafter isolating thearticles from the fluid without interruption to the continuousprocessing thereof. 7

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following descriptionof anillust'rative embodiment of the present invention.

' Inthe drawings:-

F igure 1 is a View in'elevationof af'devioe embodying features of I thepresent invention, parts thereofbeing-shown in section to clarify theillustration thereof.

Figure 2is a fragmenta y plan view-of the device disclosed in Figure 1,5 Q i Figure 3' 's a sectional view taken substan tially alongline'IIIIII of Figure 1. l v

Figure 4 is ase'ctional view in' elevation of a modified structureembodying features of the present invention.

The structure selected for illustrationcom prises meansfor confiningarticles'to enable the selective discharge thereof along a prede-'termined path, these consisting, in this instance, ofa plurality ofhoppers 10 which have individual discharge spouts 11 through I p whichthe articles are passed at varying rates 80' depending upon theadjustment of a slidable I discharge valve 12 associated therewith.Articles requiring cleansing, in this instance peas of varying size andquality, maybe sup plied to the hoppers 10 so that any desired 7 gradeof article may be washed and blanched to meet an instant requirement,thereby rendering the device capable of cleansing articles to fulfilvarious demands. On the other hand, however, each of the hoppers 10 maybe provided'with the same or different varieties of articles fordischargein an extended trough 13 which serves toguide the traverse Ithereof in the processing for removing the foreign particles therefrom.V s v Thetrough' 18 is inclined slightly so as to' effect thegravitation of the articles therealong until discharged aftersubjectionto blanching, washing, andcleansing.- To this end the trough13 is supported in the desired position by means of standards 14 securedthereto in any suitable manner for extension to the floor or otherfoundation. The troughs 13 are arranged so that parts 13 and 13 thereofare inclined in opposite directions forming a continuous zigzag path insuperposed relation to minimize the otherwise extensive floor arearequired therefor. s

The highest point of the trough 13 receives a conduit 15 which leads toany suitable water or other cleansing fluid supply source, in thisinstance a pump 16, which furnishes the necessary water to the troughs13 to maintain the articles, in this instance peas, submerged duringtheir passage therein. The passage of the articles down the trough 13over and near the bottom thereof incites a twirling movement to theWater, thereby elevatin the forei n substances for sus ension b I 3D Asa consequence, there is decided therein. comingling of the articles withclean water during. the passage thereof within the trough to effect thecontinuous removal of foreign substances therefrom. 7

'It is necessary or at least highly desirable to continuously withdraw:the foreign sub stances from the Water near the terminus of its flow,thereby effecting the segregation of the articles therefrom withoutinterrupting the continuity of cleansing. To this end,

the discharge terminal of the'trough 13".

communicates with a chamber17 which has the bottom 18 thereofdisposed ata greater inclination than that of the trough 13". This causes thearticles and its water car-. rier. to pass with increased accelerationcommencing with the inlet orifice 19 defined by the joiner of thechamber 17 with the terminal end of the trough 13". Asshown, the chamber17 is provided with a passage 20 which is restricted by a wall 21disposed in parallelism with the bottom 18.

The slight retardation occasioned by this restriction will tend to,createawater head in the troughs 13 which is desirable insofar as itinsures the constant submersion of the articles during their passagetherethrough.

The chamber 17 is supported by standards 22 and 23 which are secured tothe lateral walls thereof in'any appropriate manner. Spaced shafts. 24and 25 are journalled in the standards 22 and 23, respectively, toreceive sprocket wheel-s 26 and 27 disposed within the chamber 17 Anendless conveyor 28 composedof a series of flexibly associated link 29mesh with the teeth of the sprocket wheels 26 and 27 for effecting thecontinued linear movement thereof responsive to the application of powerto the shaft 24 which has a spur gear 24 fixed thereto for impartingrotary movement thereto. Obviously, any. power'source may be harnessedto the gear 24 in the customary manner- -As shown, the sprocket wheels26 and 27 are of different diameters so that the 0011- veyor 28 willtraverse a path parallel to the bottom 18 of the tank 17. Angularlydisposed plates 30, in this instance of rectangular contour, are securedto the links 29 of the conveyor 28 at spaced intervals for movementtherewith in a path contra to the directional flow of the water in thetank 17. The plates 30 terminate in a plane parallel with the top wall21 of the restricted passage'20 in contact therewith to skim the surfaceof the water directed thereagainst for effecting the withdrawal of theimpurities therefrom. The clock-wise directional movement of theconveyor (viewed from Fig ure 1) ultimately discharges the impurities ona platform 31 which is secured to the'tank 17 at the remote end 32thereof. As shown, the plate 31 is hinged as at 33 to enable theadjustable inclination thereof owing to a bolt 34which has one extremitythereof anchored to the plate 31 by means of a lug 35.

The bolt 34 projects through a plate 36 to receive a nut 37 in threadedengagement plate 31 communicates with a funnel 38 which leads to aconduit 39 for directing the passage of the impurities to any. suitabledrain,

The tank 17 terminates in acommuni'cating passage 40 which is inclinedin a direction opposite to that of thebottom 18 of the tank 17 so thatthe submerged articles will be carried with'thewater therethrough for.ultimate discharge in a container 41. This upward inclination maintinsthe water in the the repeated use thereof owing to a conduit 44 whichconnects the tank 41 with the low side of the pump 16.

The plates 30 are provided with brackets 45 near the extremities thereofto rest on guide rails 46secured to the interior of the tank 17 so as torelieve the weight thereof from the conveyor links 29, it being notedthat the brackets 45 engage the lower rails 47 on the top surfacethereofto alleviate the weight throughout the length of the conveyor 28regardless of its position. Suitable converging rods 48 have theextremities thereof in engagement with the shafts 24 and 25 to maintainthem in spaced relation owing to the interposition of a rod 49 therebetween. The rod 49 projects through aligned bored bearings 50 providedat the point of convergence of the braces 48. The

' therewith to enable the variation intheinclination of the depositplate 31. The deposit extremities of the rod 49 are threaded to receivenuts 51 and 52 on either side of the bearings so as to effectivelysupportthe shafts in their desired spaced relation.

In a modified embodiment of the invention, a tank or chamber 17providing a level or horizontally disposed bottom 18 communicates withthe inclined terminus of the trough 13*. As shown, the trough terminus13 defines a restricted passage 20 with a wall 21' disposed at aninclination greater than the trough terminus 13. This effects a slightretardation which creates a water head in the troughs 13 to insure theconstant submersion and passage of the articles therewith.

Aligned pairs of sprocket wheels 26 and 27 are, in this instance, of thesame diameter so that the conveyor 28 will traverse a path parallel tothe bottom 18 of the tank 17 The conveyor 28 preferably consists ofinterconnected links 29 arranged to form a pair of endless chains 28 and28 in mesh with the sprocket wheel peripheries to carry a series ofuniformly spaced rods 54 therebetween for movement contra to thedirectional flow of the water in the tank 17.

A plate 30 individual to each rod 54 is rigidly secured thereto in anysuitable manner for travel in unison with the conveyor 28 parallel tothe bottom 18 of the tank 17 in contact with the wall 21 to withdraw theimpurities existent in the tank 17 for discharge in a manner describedin connection with the preceding embodiment.

The tank 17 terminates in a communicating passage constituting a pipe 40which rises vertically to a height beyond the level of the water in thetank 17 for termination below the bottom 18' of the tank 17 owing to aU-bend provided therein intermediate the extremities thereof. Thearticles will be carried therethrough for ultimate discharge in acontainer 41 which is provided with a foraminous plate 42 disposed in ahorizontal direction beneath the discharge orifice 43' of the passage40, thereby lodging the articles on the plate 43' to isolate the watertherefrom.

The pipe 40' is preferably of rectangular cross-section to receive ahinged valve 56 therein which is regulated by a slide bar 57 to controlthe discharge therethrough. Steam is injected in the pipe 40 below thebend 55 through a tube 58 which communicates with any suitable steamsupply source.

The injected steam assists the siphoning action of the pipe 40 andfurther heats the water prior to its return to the troughs 13 by meansof the pump 16 in the manner described hereinabove. The steam injectedheat enables the use of hot water which is very much more effective as acleansing expedient than cold fluids.

With the arrangement of parts above described it will be apparent thatnovel means have been provided to continuously withdraw impurities froma cleansing medium which is used to process and blanch edible articles,such as peas, without requiring the manual manipulation thereof orinterrupt.- ing the continuity of operation.

Various changes may be made in the embodiment of the invention hereinspecifically described without departing from or sacrificing any of theadvantages thereof as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a trough, of movable means for directingarticles along the bottom thereof, of means for maintaining a water flowtherein to submerge the articles, said movable directing means skimmingthe impurities from the water without interruption to the articles,means for isolating the articles from the water, means for returning thewater to said trough after the isolation of articles therefrom, andmeans for elevating the temperature of the water prior to the repeateduse thereof and in the path of the water discharged from said trough,said temperature elevating means serving to accelerate the discharge ofthe articles from said trough. i

2.-The combination with means for clirecting articles along apredetermined path, of means for maintaining a water flow therein tosubmerge the articles, means for skimming the impurities from thewaterwithout-interruption to the articles, siphon means for effectingthe discharge of the articles, means for separating the water from thearticles for repeated use, means for returning the water to said troughafter separation of articles therefrom, and a steam injector within saidsiphonmeans and assisting the flow of water through said siphon means.

3. The combination with a trough, of

means for directing articles along. the bottom thereof, of means formaintaining a water flow therein to submerge the articles, means forskimming the impurities from the water without interruption to thearticles,

siphon means for effecting the discharge of the articles from thetrough, said siphon means constituting a U-shaped pipe rising above saidskimming means, means for separating the siphoned water from thearticles for repeated use, means for returning the water separated fromthe articles to said trough, and a steam injector terminating withinsaid U-shaped pipe to accelerate the discharge of the water from saidsiphon means and to concurrently elevate the water temperature, thestream from said injector mixing with the water in said siphon means asthe water is discharged therethrough.

MEAD S. CARMICHAEL.

